Dinosaurs » A-Z Dinosaurs List » Agathaumas Dinosaur

Agathaumas Dinosaur ("great wonder") was a ceratopsid like Triceratops Dinosaur. Relatively little is known about this species because the only fossils found were the sacrum and pelvis of the dinosaur. This animal was believed to have lived during the Cretaceous period.

Today, most argue that Agathaumas is simply a mislabeled Triceratops.

In 1872, Edward Drinker Cope named this species as Agathaumas which refers to its huge size. It is a nomen dubium, however some debate exists to what Agathaumas is. Cope himself originally believed it to be a type of hadrosaur. Later, Marsh described Triceratops in 1889.

Artist Charles R. Knight painted this dinosaur, creating a fantastic-looking beast, which blended the lengthy facial horns of Triceratops with the spiked frill of the Styracosaurus Dinosaur.

The artwork was exposed a few years later by stop-motion animator Willis O'Brien, who used Agathaumas in the 1925 film The Lost World. The Agathaumas has appeared in a variety of forms since then and if those who doubt its existence are correct, it is one of the most successful imaginary dinosaurs.